Process of distilling solid carbonaceous material



June 18, 1929. --P TE| 1,717,808

PROCESS OF DISTILLING SOLID CAR'BONACEOUS MATERIAL Filed June 11, 1923 INVENTOR 2 1 1 l /zuww W A TTOHIVHS Patented June 18,1929.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL POSTEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SHALE REDUCTION COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF DISTILLING SQLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL.

Application filed June 11,

v This invention relates to the process of: dis

tilling solid carbonaceous material; and particularly from such material as oil-bearing shale, although of course it may be used for producing oil from othercarbonaceous and earthy oil-bearing substances.

The general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved process by which a material from which oil is to be produced may be treated in a highly efiicient manner so as to extract from the material the major portion of the oil and to accomplish this without destroying the advantageous characteristics of the oil. Generally speaking, the process is characterized by continually moving the material from which the oil is to be produced through a retort, said retort being maintained throughout at a substantially even temperature and particularly free from spots heated to a temperature higher than is beneficial. More specifically stated, the process is characterized by the continuous moving of said material through a retort which is heated through the medium of a' fluid, preferably a liquid metal havin a low meltingpoint and high vaporizing point, to which the heat of a heating medium is applied.

The invention will be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which are described and illustrated one formof apparatus by which the process may be carried out. In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical '35 sectional elevation, more or less diagrammatic in character, of an apparatus by which the process may be performed; and Figure 2 is a sectional View, substantially on the line 2-2 of Fi ure 1,"through the retort.

Referring to the drawing, the retort is shown as comprising a cylinder 1 of metal, preferably-iron or steel, open at both ends and havin its ends adapted to rotate in bearings 2 an 3 suitably supported by any convenient means (not shown). said cylinder being inclined at a slight angle to the horizon ta Carried on the exterior of cylinder 1,

- and extending nearly to its ends, is an outer cylinder or jacket 4 which is spaced 8. considerable distance from the exterior of the cylin-V der 1, except at the ends of said jacket which are inwar 1y flanged and are secured to the cylinder 1 so as to make a tight joint at that point. The outer cylinder or jacket 4 is pro- 1923. Serial No. 644,531.

vided near its end nearest the upper end of the cylinder 1 with a filling opening which may be closed by a screw plug 5. The purpose of this filling opening is to permit the space between the cylinder'l and the jacket 4 to be filled with some substance such as lead or other metal of high specific heat having a low melting point but high vaporizing point. Surrounding theinner cylinder, 1 .and the outer cylinder or jacket 4, which together constitute a rotary retort, is an enclosing stationary plate or casing 6, shown in the drawing as cylindrical, for the purpose of confining the heat which is applied to the outside of the jacket 4 by any convenient heating medium such as aburner 7 for gas or liquid fuel. The interior of the cylinder 1 is preferably provided with an angle iron 8-which extends longitudinally of the cylinder and is secured to the interior thereof. More than one of these angle irons may be provided,'if desired. Secured to the bearing 2 at the upper end of the retort, is ahopper'9 adapted to contain a considerable quantityof the shale orother material to be treated, A, sliding gate 10, car'- ried by a wall. of the hopper 9. is shown as extending in front of the upper open end of the retort and nearly to the lower edge of the upper end of the latter. thereby leaving an opening 11 for the admission of the material to be treated, the size of this opening being regulated by' adjusting the gate 10 up or down.

Secured to the bearing 3 at the lower end of the retort,'i's a discharge chute 12 into which spent material isdischarged from the lower end of the cylinder 1, the lower end of said discharge chute 12 being lead to any convenient receptacle (not shown). From the'upper closed end of the discharge chute 12, a pipe 13 leads to a suction device which is illustrated in-the drawing as a rotating pump 14 from which leads a pipe 15 to a condenser 16 diagrammatically indicated as a coil.

. The cylinder 1 is provided near its lower end with a sprocket wheel 17 which is connected by a-sprocket chain 18 to. a sprocket wheel 19'which, through suitable gearing, is driven by any convenient motive power such as an electric motor 20.

' In operation, the space between the inner 105 cylinder -1 and the outer cylinder 4 is substantially filled with molten lead, or other suitable metal, which is kept in molten conof air or escape of the gases or vapors generated in the retort. As the shale or other material passes by gravity down through the cyl inder, it is subjected to a temperature which is kept substantially uniform by the molten lead which being liquid distributes the heat evenly, thus avoiding any tendency of over heating or underheating at any point. This evcn distribution of the heat applied to the retort, is particularly advantageous in that it prevents what is usually called spot-heating, by which is meant excessive heating at some particular point, which has the injurious effects of causing scorching of the material, and the production of non-condensable gases which reduce the quantity and quality of the oil obtained by the process. Another injurious effect of spot-heating is injury to or deterioration of the retort. The angle iron 8 serves to agitate the shale as it passes down through the cylinder 1 and prevents it from accumulating at any point; and by lifting the shale as the retort rotates and allowing it to fall through the heated gases within the cylinder, the angle iron 8 aids in insuring that each particle of the shale will be separately subjected to the heat of the retort.

The gases and vapors generated by the heat within the retort are drawn off by the exhaust pump 14 and are condensed in the condenser 16. The spent shale falls from the lower end of the retort into 'the discharge chute 12, the lower end of which is suitably guarded against the entrance of air.

The molten lead being enclosed within the jacket 4 is not oxidized, and there is conse quently no appreciable loss from continual use. The rotation of the retort causes more or less movement of the molten lead within the jacket 4 and aids in keeping the liquid lead in a uniformly heated condition.

The inclination at which the retort is arranged depends somewhat on the length of the retort, the inclination of along retort being preferably greater than that of a short one, so that the time of treatment will be substantially the same.

The shale being subjected to an even temperature not much higher than that necessary to keep the lead in molten condition, the volatile matter carried by it is completely extracted at a relatively low temperature below that at which the volatile matters tend to combine to form fixed gases, with the result that practically all of the volatile matters come off as condensable vapors.

From the foregoing descrlption, it will be apparent that the apparatus shown in the drawing is well adapted for carrying out the process which forms the subject of the present invention. It will be understood, however,

that this apparatus is merely illustrative, andterial chosen be fluid at the temperature of distillation and under such conditions as do not require an excessive pressure.

What I claim is:

1. The method of producing oil from oil yielding, solid carbonaceous material, which comprises continuously moving said material through a chamber, providing a source of heat, applying the heat from said source to an enclosed body of metal, which is liquid at the temperature of distillation, and moving said enclosed body of liquid continuously past the source'of heat, and in heat transferring proximity to the chamber to cause the heat to be applied uniformly to the liquid body and to be continuously transferred byit to the chamber in a uniform manner.

2. The method of producing oil from oil yielding, solid carbonaceous material, which comprises continuously moving said material through a chamber, providing a source of heat, applying the heat from said source to an enclosed body of liquid metal of low melting point and hi h vaporizing point, and moving said enclosed body of liquid continuously past the source of heat, and in heat transferring proximity to the chamber to cause the heat to be applied uniformly to the liquid body and consisting of a metal which is liquid at the temperatures of distillation and rotating said chamber whereby to uniformly distribute the heat to said material undergoing distillation.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 9th day of June, 1923.

CARL POSTEL. 

